Controlling means for well-drilling-tool strings



R. E. LEONARD.

CONTROLLING MEANS FOR WELL DRILLING TOOL STRINGS APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4,1919.

Pat/sumo? 0m 5,, IOZOO.

UNITED STATES BOY E. LEONARD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CONTROLLING MEANS FOR WELL-DRILLING-TOOL STRINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

Application filed March 4, 1919. Serial No. 280,588.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Roy E. LEONARD, a citizen of the United States residing at Los Angeles, in the county of 0s Angeles and! State of California, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Controlling Means for Well-I) the following is a specification.

This invention relates to well drilling tool strings and it has for its object to provide a sensitively responsive means for accurately and conveniently controlling the feed and disposition within the hole of a string of oil well tools, including the cable, b ts, jars, sinker bars and. the like. Ordinarily what is known as a temper screw is used to provide a gradual feed for the string of tools as the hole is developed, such temper screw being connected with the string and with the walking beam whereby the string is vertically reciprocated in the drilling action. This temper screw requires constant attention and manual operation and involves inconvenience in its use. In accordance with the present invention I provide a piston and cylinder, one of which is connected with the walking beam and the other of which is adjustably connected with the string, and utilizes a pressure fluid, such as oil, for relative movement or permitting relative movement of the piston and cylinder. A suitable pump is provided to subject the fluid to the proper pressure and cause it to operate the piston relatlve to the cylinder, and a suitable control is provided for this pump, which control is preferably in juxtaposition to a control for the pressure fluid, so that the requlredrelative movements of the piston and cylinder may be effected by an operator at a single suitable station or location in or ad acent to the derrick.

In accordance with the invention, the operator can effect the proper feed of the string of tools, or can materially raise or space them from the bottom of the hole, by simply manipulating two sultable controls, such as steam and oil pipe valves, and the relatively moving piston and cylinder are sensitively responsive to controlling impulses which may be accurately proportioned to the results to be obtained.

In accordance with the present invention it is not necessary for the operator to repeatedly visit the temper screw, directly over the hole, and interrupt his work for rilling-Tool Strings, of which the invention, comprises a cylinder the purpose of suitably adjusting the string, but t 1s only required that he conveniently manipulate the controlling valves above mentioned, and in so 'doing practice will accustom h1m to nicely and delicately and accurately obtain the results desired.

W1th the above and other objects in view,

' the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, location, association, relative arrangement and combination of partsfmembers and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawing, and finally pointed out in claims.

'In the drawing;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a well derrick and certain of the devices and instrumentalities employed in well drilling; and,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of certain particular features thereof, illustrating more clearly the construction and :ction of particular features of the inven- Corresponding parts in both figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawing, A designates a portion of a derrick such as erected at and over the mouth of a well hole to be developed; B designates the bull wheel used in handling the string in the well hole; C designates the calf wheel used in handling the casing in the well hole; D designates the samson post which supports the pivoted walking beam E, both disposed just outside of the derrick, with one end of e designates what is known as the headache post which acts as a step or rest for the working end of the walking beam; F designates the cable used to reciprocate the bit and other tools in the well hole, and the improved means for controlling the string of tools, including the cable, in accordance avith a pistonH movable therein and having its i'od h which projects below the cylinder, a pressure fluid supply pipe-K for supplying fluid to the lower end of the cylinder G from a pressure fiuid reservoir L, a pump M for puttin the fluid in the reservoir L and pipe line under pressure,.a steam supply pipe N for the pump M, and controllin ,valves k and n for the pressure fluid line and the steam line N respectively. Combined with the fluid pressure reservoir L. is'a fluid supply tank into which air may be bled from the cylinder G and from which air is sucked by the pump and forced into the reservoir L, any suitable pump construction bein adapted to be utilized for this purposef l1? 0 t e will be understood that the lowering string is occasioned by manipulating the free to swing within a slot 5 produced inwardly from the working end of the walking beam. The pipe or line K for the pressure fluid may include rigid pipe members 6, one of which may be secured at the side of the walking beam, and another of which may rise from the lower end of thecylinder G, still another portion of this line extend-- ing vertically in connection with the samson post D. Flexible pipe lengths 7 are .provlded at the ends of the rigid pipe length 6 upon the walking beam, whereby the movements of the walking beam maybe accommodated together with a maintenance of the pipe line integrity. This pipe line extends from the reservoir L to the cylinder G, at the bottom thereof as stated. I

The lower end of the piston red It is connected by a swivel device 0 with a clamp P (such swivel device and clamp being of any standard or preferred construction), and the cable F is adjustably gripped by the clamp P, such cable being downwardly looped from the clamp, as at 10, and thence extending up- -wardly in the derrick. Thus the string may be fed downwardly in the hole until the loop 10 has been straightened out, whereupon a. further feed of the cable is produced in the derrick, and a looped reserve supplypro- Y vided.

In operating the'device or mechanism or apparatus embodying the invention, the walking beam may continue to perform its function pertinent to drilling, which consists in vertically reciprocating the string of tools with the cable F and causing the bit to engage with and chip or break away or drill out the formation to which the drilling is being carried on in the development of the hole. The same is true of course of the use of such other tools as an underreamer which is substituted for the bit to cut away the annular shoulder beneath the casing and thus permit further lowering of the casing after acertain drilling operation has carried the lower extremity of the hole to a point beneath the casing. As the hole is developed the string must needs be lowered, step by step, and with the parts in the positions shown in the drawing, in order to lower the string a certain stage, it is only necessary to operate the pressure medium line valve k so as to release back from the pipe line K, into the tank L, a certain portion of the pressure medium in the line above such valve. Thispermits the piston H to descend proportionately, the column of pressure medium t 183th it having been proportionately reduced, and the string thus descends correspondingly within the hole. In order to elevate the string, so as to take the tools from the bottom of the hole, the control valve 1 is operated to admit steam to the pump M and send pulsations of pressure medium to and through the reservoir L and through the line K, and introduce a further increment of pressure medium within the cylinder G, under pressure, thus upwardly actuating the piston H and raising the string.

Many changes and uses of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art, all with respect to the adjusting, positioning and controlling of the cable and its string of tools. Likewise, many changes and variations may be made from the foregoing description and disclosure of the drawing, in adapting the invention to varying conditions of services, all without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination with a cable adapted to support and actuate .well tools; of a relatively movable piston and cylinder one of, which is ccmected with the cable, means being provided for supporting the other thereof; said last named means comprising a Walking beam for vertically actuating the cable within the well hole; means being provided for controlling the supply of a fluid within the cylinder and whereby the position of the piston within the cylinder may be determined; said means comprising a supply. means for'the fluid, there being a pipe line between the supply means and thecylinder and which pipe line includes flexible portions extending to and from the walking beam.

2. The combination with a cable adapted to support and actuate well tools; of a relatively movable piston and cylinder one of which is connected with the cable, means being provided for supporting the other thereof; said last named means comprising a walking beam for vertically actuating the extending between said pump and the cylinder.

3. The combination, in well drilling apparatus, with a samson post, pivotally supported walking beam, and with a string of tools; of a relatively movable piston and cylinder one of which is connected with the cable and the other of which is connected with the walking beam; and means for relatively moving the piston and cylinder com prising a pressure fluid supply means, and

a pipe line extending from the pressure fluid supply means to the cylinder in part along the samson post and the walking beam; said pipe line having a flexible-portion accommodating pivotal action of the walking beam on the samson post.

4. The combination, in well drilling apparatus, with a samson post, pivotally supported walking beam, and with a string of tools; of a relatively movable piston and cylinder one of which is connected with the cable and the other of which is connected with the walking beam; and means for relatively moving the piston and cylinder comprising a pressure fluid supply means, and a pipe line extending from the pressure fluid supply means to the cylinder in part along the samson post and the walking beam; said pipe line having a flexible portion accommodating pivotal action of the walking beam Y on the samson post; the piston spring being jointly pivotally supported on the walking beam, and said pipe line including a further flexible portion extending from the walking beam to the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROY E. LEONARD.

Witnesses:

RAYMOND Ivns BLAKESLEE, EDNA Tnnm. 

